Isaiah (Is) 43:4
You are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you.
God’s Word
Psalm (Ps) 119:105
Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
“If the practice of Lectio Divina is promoted with efficacy,
I am convinced that it will produce a new spiritual springtime in the Church.”
– Pope Benedict XVI
LECTIO DIVINA (Latin, lek-see-o de-vee-na) is a very ancient art, of a slow, contemplative praying of the Bible which enables the Word of God, to become again what God intended that it should be – a means of union with Him.
What Lectio Divina is:
- School of Prayer: The foremost aim of Lectio Divina is to simply lead us to ‘communion with God’ at all times, in prayer and out of fixed periods of prayer.
- School of life : For the Fathers, one knows the bible by assimilating it to the point of translating it into life, so with Lectio divina because it is a foremost a ‘school of Prayer’, we gradually take on the attitudes that scripture desires of us.
What Lectio Divina is not:
- The goal of Lectio Divina is not to complete reading the Bible : The reading or listening which is the first step in lectio divina is very different from the speed reading which we apply to newspapers, books and even to the Bible. Lectio is reverential listening; listening both in a spirit of silence and of awe… “a Listening with the Heart”.
- Lectio Divina is not the same as Bible study: Bible Study is very useful at another time and provides a solid conceptual background for the practice of Lectio Divina, but in Lectio Divina what is important is not to understand the text critically but a growing relationship with God, who is communicating His own life to us in the sacred text.
- Lectio Divina is not, as a rule, immediately gratifying. One does not reap the day following the sowing! All who know how to wait reap the reward. If you allow yourself to be possessed by the Word, you will hear even his silence. “There is nothing worse in the spiritual life, than the desire for immediate gratification.”
- The Fruits of Lectio Divina is not your doing but Gods free gift: In Ancient times contemplation was not regarded as a goal to be achieved through some method of prayer, but was simply accepted with gratitude as God’s recurring gift.
The Process of Lectio Divina:
For your daily Lectio Divina you may use one of the readings from the Eucharistic liturgy of the day or you may prefer to slowly work through a particular book of the Bible. It makes no difference which text is chosen, as long as one has not set a goal of “covering” a certain amount of text: the amount of text “covered” is in God’s hands, not yours.
- Reading: Read the text slowly, savoring each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the “still, small voice” of a word or phrase that somehow says, “I am here for you today.” Do not expect lightening or ecstasies. In lectio divina God is teaching us to listen to Him, to seek Him in silence. He does not reach out and grab us; rather, He softly, gently invites us ever more deeply into His presence.
- Meditation: Once we have found a word or a passage in the Scriptures that speaks to us in a personal way, stop reading and slowly repeat it to yourself again and again for as long as you are drawn to do so. The image of the ruminant animal quietly chewing its cud was used in antiquity as a symbol of the Christian pondering the Word of God. Meditation allows God’s word to become His word for us, a word that touches us and affects us at our deepest levels. Once you feel saturated with the text move on to the next step.
- Prayer: Speak to God as you would with one who you know loves and accepts you. Give to Him what you have discovered during your experience of Meditation.
- Contemplation: Learn to use words when words are helpful, and to let go of words when they no longer are necessary. So, now simply rest in God’s embrace – in the presence of the One who has used His word as a means of inviting us to accept His transforming embrace.
After going through the four steps you may carry on reading from where you stopped and follow the process again.
Do a FULL LENGTH “IGNATIAN RETREAT” – While carrying on your regular activities.
On the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the death of St Ignatius Loyola, the Promoter of the “Spiritual Exercises”, the Fathers of St Peter’s Parish are happy to guide those desirous to go through this transforming experience.
Since most working people, are unable to make the uninterrupted 30-day retreat, Ignatius himself proposed a method whereby the “Full Retreat Experience” could be had in an extended manner over a period of a few months. This Ignatian Retreat is called the 19th Annotation Retreat.
Any Lay Person keen on going through this experience and having the willingness to spend “daily one and half hour of prayer and reflection” (which could be done in parts) are invited to register for the retreat.
Kindly, contact any of the following parish Fathers: Fr Frazer or Fr Aubrey